I Finally Found the Yanbaru Kuina

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Admin11

When I tell people I am a nature photographer, they often ask me if I have ever seen a Yanbaru kuina. Friends are always so excited to tell me that they found a Yanbaru kuina in central Okinawa. I feel bad telling them the bad news. More than likely, they found a common moorhen. The common moorhen is often mistaken for the Yanbaru kuina.

The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) has a bright red head shield, yellow legs with distinctive white feathers underneath. The Common moorhen is found near marshes, local parks and small rivers. This bird is very common in Okinawa

Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus
Common Name: Common moorhen
Distribution: Okinawan wide
Habitat: City parks, rivers and creeks
Diet: Vegetation and small aquatic animals
Average Size: 30 to 37 cm

The Difference: The Yanbaru kuina ( Okinawa rail ) has an orange beak with bright orange legs. The underneath is black with white bars.

The Yanbaru kuina is a flightless bird found in northern Okinawa. It is a protected species and declared a living natural treasure. It is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species. In 2012 populations of this endemic bird were estimated at 1500 by the Environment Ministry. As of October 2016 populations have declined to 480 mature individuals according to IUCN assessment.

Scientific name: Hypotaenidia okinawae
Common Name: Okinawa Rail
Japanese Name: Yanbaru kuina
Distribution: Northern Okinawa
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Small insects, worms, snails and fruit.
Average Size: 31cm
Threats: Habitat loss, and the threat of mongoose and feral cats.

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Ryukyu flying fox – Bats of Okinawa

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Admin11

The Ryukyu flying fox is the largest bat found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. This large bat often startles people on night walks. No need to worry, it is not a threat to humans. This large fruit bat feeds on fruit, seeds and nectar. It is currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN list of Threatened species.

Scientific name: Pteropus dasymallus
Common name: Ryukyu flying fox and fruit bat
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Dense forests and neighborhood parks
Diet: Fruit, seeds and nectar
Average size: 300-350mm
Color: Brown and orange

These large fruit bats are nocturnal and feed during the night.

Ryukyu flying fox

Ryukyu flying fox in flight

They can also be found during the day hiding high up in trees.

Ryukyu flying fox

Fruitbat in Ryukyu pine tree

On rare occasions, they can be found feeding on the cherry blossoms in daylight.

Ryukyu flying fox

Ryukyu flying fox feeding on cherry blossoms

A mother and young found in a secluded part of the Yanbaru forest.

Ryukyu flying fox feeding

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Sea Turtle Art Show – Okinawa, Japan

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Admin11

Please come out to the Sea Turtle Art show on August 12th, 2017. The event will take place at the Okinawa Brewing Company at 2:00-6:00 pm. We will have original artwork, prints, and postcards for sale. This is a collaboration with local artists to bring awareness to sea turtle conservation and what you can do to save our oceans. Part of the profits will be donated to sea turtle conservation and related causes.

* CJ and friends will be performing live music for the event.

Turtle art show

Baby sea turtle making the journey to the ocean. Okinawa, Japan.

Baby sea turtles leaving the nest – Photography by Shawn Miller

The beautiful sea turtles of the Ryukyu Islands

Green Sea Turtle -Photography by Shawn Miller

Our trash is becoming a serious problem on our shorelines. All of us can do better to reduce our waste and protect out natural environment.

Trash on our shorelines -Photography by Shawn Miller

I often find single-use items washed on our shorelines. Plastic bags, forks, spoons, pet bottles, straws, razors, medicine prescription containers, flip-flops, hair combs, toothbrushes, bento boxes, Styrofoam, shotgun shells, and rope are the common items washed ashore.

Beach trash – Crabs with beach trash homes by Shawn Miller

The event turnout was better than expected. A big thanks to all that supported the event and to the contributors and local artists.

A few photographs of the event –

Turtle art show “The wall of art “

Turtle art show -Okinawa, Japan

Turtle art show – Pollution print

Turtle art show – Laowa 12mm F2.8 D dreamer perspective

Good times at Okinawa brewing company-

People often ask me what is the purpose of conservation photography? Having the ability to affect some form of positive change in the environment and make a global difference with the photographs. Hopefully, the images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive difference in the environment.

Have a great day!

Worms with tongues ! Blind snakes of Okinawa

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Admin11

The Brahminy bind snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) is a non-venomous snake found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. They are fairly common here on Okinawa. I often find them in drainage ditches, on roads and sidewalks. These small snakes are overlooked and mistaken for worms.

Scientific name: Ramphotyphlops braminus
Local name: Mekurahebi – Brahminy Blind snake
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Forests, Grasslands and sugar cane fields
Diet: Termite pupae and ant larvae
Average size: 15cm -21cm
Color: Dark brown

Blind snake -Okinawa, Japan

What is the main difference between the blind snake and a worm ?

The blind snake has scales, a split tongue and a backbone (vertebrate)
Worms have soft skin with ring like segments called annuli and lack a backbone (Invertebrate)

A photograph of a large earthworm (Pontoscolex sp) I found on Kume Island.

Unidentified earthworm - MYN and under Blue light Kume Island

Unidentified earthworm (15-22cm) Kume Island

The blind snake is the only know snake to be parthenogentic throughout its entire life. The female lays fertile eggs without the need of a male to fertilize the eggs. This is why the blind is so successful in establishing populations.

This small snake is also know as the flower pot snake, thriving in backyard flower pots and gardens.

Flower pot snake -Okinawa

The blind snake produces a powerful foul smelling odor to deter predators when threatened. I found this out by picking the snake up to remove it off the road.

Blind snake -size perspective

The blind snake has a modified sharp pointy tail used for anchoring and as a defense mechanism when attacked .

Blind snake tail

All the blind snakes I have seen on Okinawa are dark brown. My friend Paul found these blind snakes under a rotting log. This was my first time seeing a blue color form.

bind snake color forms

This week I found three dead blind snakes in Kin village. The warm weather (91-93 Fahrenheit) is drying out the top layer of soil and pushing the snakes out on the pavement.

Blind snake -dried from summer heat

Get-Familiarized with the Nature of Okinawa! – – – SUBSCRIBE BELOW

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Okinawan Sword-tailed newt – Endangered species by Shawn Miller

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Admin11

The Okinawan Sword-tailed newt (Cynops ensicauda popei) is an endangered species found on the main islands of Okinawa an Amami. It is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species. This amphibian is decreasing in numbers due to deforestation and road kill.

Scientific name: Cynops ensicauda popei
Distribution: Okinawa and Anami Islands
Habitat: Forests, wetlands and freshwater streams
Diet: Amphibian eggs, tadpoles, snails, worms and insects
Average size: 100-180mm

Sword tailed newt with stripes

They all have bright orange bellies, which serve as a warning sign to predators that they are poisonous. When threatened they produce a transparent skin toxin.

Poisonous animals are toxic if you eat them or ingest their secretions. Irritations may occur after handling these newts if you have open wounds. Avoid rubbing your eyes or placing your hands in your mouth.

The newt photographed in its natural habitat.

Sword-tailed newt in natural habitat

The aquatic stage of the newt has external gills. Photographed on Amami Island

Juvenile Cynops ensicauda ensicauda -Amami Island

Sword tailed newt -Onna village

Sword tailed newt – Onna village

Sword tailed newt -yanbaru forest

An average looking sword-tailed newt with a blood sucking leech

Sword-tailed newt with leech

The Sword- tailed newt is often found crossing the road on rainy days in northern Okinawa.

Newt crossing

The government has designed specialized wildlife steps for animals that get trapped in roadside drainage ditches. These steps allow the newts to crawl out safely.

Wildlife steps

Please pay attention to crossing wildlife

Road kill- Sword tailed newt Sword tailed newt

If you like newts, you have to check out the coolest newt on the planet, Anderson’s crocodile newt.

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Ryukyu tip-nosed frog (Odorrana narina) – Frogs of Okinawa

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Admin11

The Ryukyu tip-nosed frog ( Odorrana narina) is found in Northern Okinawa. This endemic frog is currently listed endangered on the IUCN red list. It’s biggest threat is habitat loss.

Scientific name: Odorrana narina
Common name: Ryukyu tip-nosed frog
Distribution: Yanbaru forest, Northern Okinawa
Habitat: Forest streams and mountain slopes
Diet: Insects, centipedes and small invertebrates
Average size: 50mm – 75mm

Ryukyu tip-nosed frog – Stella 2000

The Ryukyu tip-nosed frog is a medium sized frog. It hides in holes and crevices in the daytime.

Ryukyu tip-nosed frog – Tokina 10-17mm

Ryukyu tip-nosed frog

Odorrana narina – frogs of Okinawa

It feeds during the night on small insects and centipedes.

Ryukyu tip-nosed frog -wide angle macro, Stella 2000

It is sometimes found on roads searching for food after heavy rains.

Ryukyu Tip-nosed frog -Red list

Be careful and pay close attention to crossing wildlife.

Crossing wildlife- wide angle macro

Road kill- Ryukyu Tip-nosed frog

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Okinawa Nature Photography

沖縄自然写真 By Shawn Miller

Tag Archives: Nature photography by Shawn Miller

I Finally Found the Yanbaru Kuina

Ryukyu flying fox – Bats of Okinawa

Sea Turtle Art Show – Okinawa, Japan

Worms with tongues ! Blind snakes of Okinawa

Okinawan Sword-tailed newt – Endangered species by Shawn Miller

Ryukyu tip-nosed frog (Odorrana narina) – Frogs of Okinawa